Disabled drivers struggling to find parking spaces in Wokingham on market day are blaming traders and shoppers for taking their spaces.

The four disabled bays in Denmark Street are occupied by vans and cars belonging to able-bodied shoppers most Fridays, according to Ernest Pickett.

Mr Pickett from Winnersh suffers from chronic lung disease which means he has to be on oxygen 20 hours a day.

He plans his treatment around his trips to Wokingham with his wife Elizabeth but said the abuse of disabled parking bays was making it impossible for him to visit the town.

“One Friday I went to the police station to complain that two vans and two cars were parked in the bays on the road outside Thomas Cook,” he said.

“An hour and a half later the vehicles were still there.”

Mr Pickett, 65, added: “I am wondering if it’s one rule for one and another rule for others as it seems there are no police available in Wokingham to control this.

“If there are police available, do these infringements just get ignored?”

His views are echoed by borough Councillor Keith Baker, who declared it was “absolutely disgusting” that people without disabled badges were parking in bays designated for the use of people with disabilities.

Cllr Baker, executive member for transport, said: “Disabled people have enough going against them without this sort of hassle.

“This is not an uncommon complaint and the issue is enforcement.

“It is a police matter.”

Sergeant Nigel Scarratt, from the Wokingham neighbourhood team, said: “We have a member of the town centre neighbourhood policing team on duty every day and one of the issues that they look out for is people contravening parking regulations. We are aware of complaints of people using the disabled bays and deal with offenders accordingly.

“Parking has been highlighted as one of the main issues for the Town Neighbourhood Action Group (NAG) and we are working together with partners to address the problems.”

Sgt Scarratt added that he was out on patrol on Friday last week and the disabled bays in Denmark Street were being used by disabled motorists.